Kane Brown, Ella Mai, Normani and Bebe Rexha announced the nominations for the 2018 American Music Awards on Sept. 12.
Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line and Dan + Shay picked up multiple nominations in the country categories, while FGL and Maren Morris both earned nominations in the all-genre Collaboration of the Year category.
This year’s nominations are based on key fan interactions, including album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, social activity and touring. The measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, reflecting the time period from Sept. 15, 2017, through Aug. 9, 2018.
The 2018 American Music Awards, the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Oct. 9 at 8p.m. ET on ABC.
Check out the country-centric nominations below.
Favorite Male Artist – Country
Kane Brown
Luke Bryan
Thomas Rhett
Favorite Female Artist – Country
Kelsea Ballerini
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
Favorite Duo or Group – Country
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Lanco
Favorite Album – Country
Kane Brown, Kane Brown
Luke Combs, This One’s for You
Thomas Rhett, Life Changes
Favorite Song – Country
Kane Brown, “Heaven”
Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”
Collaboration of the Year
Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”
Carrie Underwood released a video for her new single, “Love Wins.” The vibrant clip was directed by Shane Drake, who also helmed Carrie’s “Cry Pretty” video in 2016.
The inspiring tune, which was penned by Carrie, David Garcia and Brett James, follows the Top 10 success of lead single, “Cry Pretty,” from her upcoming album of the same name. The new album will be released on Sept. 14.
“This song is hopeful,” says Carrie. “It’s saying no matter who you are, what you feel, what you think, we’re all human beings. We all deserve love. We all deserve respect and we all should try to show that to one another.”
Carrie co-wrote nine of the 13 tracks on Cry Pretty and co-produced the album with David Garcia. The new record will be Carrie’s first since 2015’s “Storyteller,” which spawned hits such as “Smoke Break,” “Heartbeat,” “Church Bells” and “Dirty Laundry.”
Michael Ray dropped a new video for his current single, “One That Got Away.”
The mid-tempo tune, which is currently No. 32 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after eight weeks, was penned by Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Jesse Frasure. Following previous single “Get to You,” “One That Got Away” is the second single released from Michael’s 2018 sophomore album, Amos.
Michael’s new video for “One That Got Away” features the crooner getting a taste of Miami nightlife with a local girl he meets.
“Sometimes you get in that moment and you’re like, ‘This person might be out of my league a little bit, but for whatever reason they’re into me, so I’m just gonna roll with it. It might backfire and they might break my heart, but it’s gonna be one hell of a story in the end,’” Michael says.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The path that led to playing at Tennessee wasn’t the easiest for junior linebacker Daniel Bituli as he moved from the Congo to the United States when he was just three years old.
“My family was fortunate enough to get here to the states,” Bituli said. “The lifestyle as a whole was difficult. My parents didn’t know how to speak English and both went to school. My dad worked two jobs just to feed us. My mom stayed at home and took care of the kids every day. My siblings and I were really fortunate to have the parents that we have.”
When first arriving to the U.S., Bituli along with his four siblings and parents, lived in Charlotte, Tenn. They then moved to Bellevue, about 13 miles southwest of Nashville, where he attended Nashville Christian High School.
“I have been fortunate enough to meet people in my life that have made my job easier,” Bituli said. “From my coaches picking me up from practices and dropping me off. And then going to Nashville Christian, I had such a warm and loving family there with people that truly cared about me. It is really an amazing feeling.”
One of the hurdles that Bituli had to get over was learning English. He would have to take extra classes to become fluent in the new language.
“It took a good two-and-a-half years,” Bituli said. “Fortunately enough for me, I was just a young kid. But it was very difficult for my parents because they spoke Lingala. My mom actually speaks eight different languages. Her knowing all those languages and then having to learn a whole new one when they got to the states, it was really hard.”
Bituli started his journey in football at a young age in elementary school, just by playing the sport during recess with his two best friends.
“I would just run as fast and hard as I could,” Bituli said. “I would get a touchdown like every day.”
His friends started encouraging him to play football outside of recess and would invite him to practices. Eventually in fifth-grade, he attended his first football camp and his love for the game grew from there.
Bituli also competed in basketball, starting in fourth-grade and continuing into high school. He would also run track.
At Tennessee, he has become one of the top linebackers in the Southeastern Conference and is an emerging leader for the Vols’ defense this fall.
After playing as a reserve as a freshman in 2016, Bituli led Tennessee with 90 tackles as a sophomore in 2017.
Playing primarily at MIKE linebacker, he had a career-high of 23 tackles and a forced fumble against Georgia Tech in the 2017 season opener and added a pick-six at Alabama.
As a junior, Bituli has logged two starts at linebacker and contributed eight tackles against West Virginia and ETSU.
Throughout his time as a Volunteer, one of his highlights was the Virginia Tech “Battle of Bristol” game held at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 10, 2016. The Vols routed the Hokies, 45-24, in front of the largest crowds in American football history (156,990).
“It was the greatest thing I have ever seen,” Bituli said. “Just the Vol Walk was truly amazing and breathtaking.”
But for his family, seeing his hard work pay off at a collegiate level and earning an education at the same time has meant the most overall.
“It means the world to us,” Bituli said. “It really shows that hard work truly does pay off. When you have a really tight-knit family that supports you in everything you do, it just makes the job easier.”
Following in the footsteps of past country luminaries like Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, Carrie Underwood will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Sept. 20.
Carrie will receive the 2,646th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 1750 North Vine Street in front of Capitol Records.
Guest speakers at Carrie’s induction will include two men—Simon Cowell and Brad Paisley—who have shared the television screen with Carrie numerous times. Simon was a judge on American Idol when Carrie was named the Season 4 winner in 2005. Brad and Carrie will co-host the CMA Awards for the 11th time on Nov. 14.
“Fans of Carrie Underwood will be thrilled when they see their favorite performer accept her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, said in a statement. “People from all over the world have been asking when she will be honored, and we are proud to say, the time is now. We welcome everyone to Hollywood to cheer her on.”
Carrie will release her new album, Cry Pretty, on Sept. 14.
Luke Bryan treated 30,000 fans to a free outdoor concert in downtown Nashville on Sept. 10 to celebrate the grand opening of his new restaurant, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink.
After openers DJ Rock, Chelsea Field and Jon Langston got the party started, Luke hit the stage for a 90-minute set that included appearances by Cole Swindell and Ryan Hurd.
Check out Luke performing his recent No. 1 hit, “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” with Ryan Hurd, one of the song’s co-writers.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Week 1 of the regular season wrapped for the NFL yesterday on Monday Night Football and three VFLs made their professional football debuts over the weekend: Jason Croom, Trevor Daniel and Rashaan Gaulden.
Catch up with all of Tennessee’s former players below. Updates will be posted each week on UTSports.com.
Derek Barnett – DE, Philadelphia Eagles 2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 1/1, Tackles: 1 UA, 1 A, 2 Total, Other: 0 Sacks, 0 Int., 0 FF, 0 FR
Barnett started Philadelphia’s first three games of the preseason, recording two tackles at Cleveland. To kick off the regular season, the Nashville native earned the starting position versus Atlanta and tallied two tackles.
Eric Berry – DB, Kansas City Chiefs 2018 Regular Season: No Stats Recorded
Berry did not play in the play in the preseason or in the Chief’s Week 1 game versus the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bray played in four preseason games for the Chicago Bears in 2018, completing 60-of-97 passes for 652 yards and one touchdown. The California native was named to the Bears’ practice squad to the 2018 season.
Coleman started two of four preseason games for the Seahawks, totaling six tackles and three passes defended. In Seattle’s Week 1 game at Denver, he entered off the bench and recorded one tackle.
Colquitt played in all four of Cleveland’s preseason games, recording 15 punts for 618 yards. He landed five inside the 20-yard line and averaged 41.2 yards per punt. In the Brown’s Week 1 game against Pittsburgh, Colquitt punted 12 times for 522 yards and pinned the Steelers inside the 20-yard line six times.
Colquitt averaged 43.2 yards per punt through four games in the preseason for the Chiefs. In Week 1 of the regular season versus the Los Angeles Chargers, he averaged 51.2 yards per punt and landed three of his five boots inside the 20-yard line. Colquitt’s longest punt of the game was a 67-yarder.
Cox served as the Ravens primary long snapper in the preseason, playing in four games, and saw action in Baltimore’s 47-3 rout of the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the regular season.
Croom tallied three receptions for 60 yards through three preseason games for the Bills. In Week 1 at Baltimore, Croom saw action off the bench and caught two passes for 18 yards, including a long reception of 10 yards.
Daniel played in all four of Houston’s preseason games, punting 10 times for an average of 45.3 yards per punt, before winning the roster spot as a rookie. In his NFL debut against the Patriots, Daniel landed three of his six punts inside the 20-yard line and averaged 38.3 yards per punt.
Dobbs played in three preseason games for the Steelers, getting the starting nod against Carolina. He completed 29-of-43 passes for 434 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for an additional 64 yards and a score. The Georgia native did not see action in Week 1 of the regular season.
Alex Ellis – TE, Kansas City Chiefs 2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 1/0, Rec-Yds: 0-0, 0.0 Avg., 0 TD
Ellis saw action in all four of Kansas City’s preseason games and earned a start in the final game of the preseason versus Green Bay. He caught 10 passes for 93 yards, including a 17-yard reception against the Packers. Ellis entered the Chief’s Week 1 game in Los Angeles off the bench.
Foster did not play in any preseason games for the Steelers, but started Week 1 of the regular season at Cleveland. Foster helped pave the way for 472 yards of total offense, including 313 yards passing.
Fulton started three preseason games for the Texans. The guard started in Houston’s Week 1 game at New England and paved the way for 325 yards of total offense.
Gaulden played in four games during the preseason for the Panthers, earning two starts. The rookie made five tackles in the preseason. In Week 1, Gaulden made his NFL debut, coming off the bench in Carolina’s 16-8 win over the Cowboys.
Hunter caught seven passes for 132 yards, including a 46-yarder against Carolina, and one touchdown in the preseason. The Virginia native made one catch for six yards in Week 1 of the regular season, helping the Steelers to a 21-21 tie at Cleveland.
Malik Jackson – DT, Jacksonville Jaguars 2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 1/1, Tackles: 1 UA, 3 A, 4 Total, Other: 0 Sacks, 0 Int., 0 FF, 0 FR
Jackson started three games in the preseason for Jacksonville, recording four tackles, a sack and one forced fumble. He made four tackles in Week 1 of the regular season to help the Jaguars to a 20-15 win over the Giants.
James made three starts in the preseason before paving the way for 342 yards of total offense in the Dolphins’ Week 1 win against the Tennessee Titans.
Johnson played in three preseason games for the Denver Broncos, recording a tackle in each outing. He did not play in Denver’s Week 1 season opener against Seattle.
Kamara started two preseason games for the for the Saints, rushing for 27 yards and a touchdown on seven attempts. He also caught two passes for 17 yards in the outings. During Week 1 vs. Tampa Bay, Kamara rushed for 29 yards and two touchdowns while tallying nine receptions for 112 yards and a score.
John Kelly – RB, Los Angeles Rams Preseason: Games/Starts: 3/0, Rushing Att-Yds: 46-197, 4.3 Avg., 40 Lg, 3 TD Rec-Yds: 6-18, 3.0 Avg., 12 Lg, 0 TD
Kelly rushed 46 times for 197 yards and three touchdowns through three preseason games for the Rams. The running back did not see action in Los Angeles’ 33-13 win over Oakland in Week 1 of the regular season.
Made four appearances, including one start, for the Bengals during the preseason, making seven catches for 101 yards and one touchdown. Malone saw action of the bench in Cincinnati’s 34-23 Week 1 victory over Indianapolis.
McCullers played in three preseason games for the Steelers, making one tackle. The North Carolina native played in Pittsburgh’s Week 1 game at Cleveland.
Kahlil McKenzie – G, Kansas City Chiefs Preseason: Games/Starts: 4/0
McKenzie made four appearances in the preseason for the Chiefs and helped pave the way for 397 yards of total offense in the final preseason game against the Packers. McKenzie did not play in the Chiefs’ Week 1 game at the Los Angeles Chargers.
Emmanuel Moseley – DB, San Francisco 49ers (Practice Squad) Preseason: Games/Starts: 4/1, Tackles: 6 UA, 0 A, 6 Total, Other: 0 Sacks, 1 PD, 1-6 Int-Yds, 0 FF, 0 FR
Moseley played in four games for the 49ers in the preseason, making six solo tackles and one interception. The rookie was signed to San Francisco’s practice squad prior to Week 1 of the regular season.
Palardy played in all four of Carolina’s preseason games, punting 16 times for an average of 43.9 yards per punt. In Week 1, the veteran punter landed three of his six punts inside the 20-yard line and averaged 47.8 yards per punt.
Cordarrelle Patterson – WR, New England Patriots 2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 1/1, Rec-Yds: 1-6, 6.0 Avg., 0 TD, Rushing Att-Yds: 3-13, 4.3 Avg., 10 Lg
Made four appearances, including one start, for the Patriots during the preseason, making 11 catches for 126 yards and one touchdown. Patterson started in Week 1 of the regular season versus Houston, making one catch for six yards. The South Carolina native also had three rushing attempts for 13 yards in the 27-20 win.
Reeves-Maybin played in three games for the Lions in the preseason, making six solo tackles and defending one pass. In the Lions’ first regular season game against the New York Jets, Reeves-Maybin entered the game off the bench.
Stocker saw action in all four of Tennessee’s preseason games but did not record any stats. The Kentucky native entered the Titan’s Week 1 game in Miami off the bench and made two catches for 37 yards.
James Stone – C, Chicago Bears (Practice Squad) 2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 1/1
Stone made four appearances, including one start, in the preseason for the Oakland Raiders before being signed to the Chicago Bears’ practice squad.
Sutton played in all four of the Steelers’ preseason games, making four tackles and defending three passes. The Georgia native also had one interception for 13 yards and forced a fumble. In Week 1 of the regular season, Sutton intercepted a pass and recorded two tackles against Cleveland.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee Football, visit //UTSports.com/Football and follow @Vol_Football on Twitter.
California native Brett Young revealed he will drop his sophomore album, Ticket to L.A., on Dec. 7.
The upcoming record follows the 2017 release of Brett’s self-titled debut album, which spawned four No. 1 hits, including “Sleep Without You,” “In Case You Didn’t Know,” “Like I Loved You” and “Mercy.”
“It’s been four-and-a-half years that I’ve been in Nashville,” says Brett. “A lot has happened, the first record has been really good to me and I’m really, really proud of it. But just having a new batch of songs—it’s like breathing new life almost.”
Brett co-penned 10 of the 13 tracks on Ticket to L.A., including new single, “Here Tonight.”
“I decided to name the album Ticket to L.A. because flying home to Los Angeles has become such a big part of my life,” Brett says. “A lot of the first record reflected a kind of hard point in my life when I was moving from Los Angeles to Nashville, but I’m in a completely different place now. I’m so happy, and I think you can really hear that shift on the new record.”
Ticket to L.A. Track Listing and Songwriters
